Deniece rape case consolidated, transferred to DOJ

By Ina Reformina, ABS-CBN News

MANILA - The Department of Justice (DOJ) has ordered the transfer of the rape case filed by Deniece Cornejo against movie and television actor and host Vhong Navarro from the Taguig City Prosecutor's Office to the DOJ main office in Manila.

In a one-page order signed by Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, Cornejo's rape complaint has also been consolidated with the complaint filed by Navarro against her, businessman Cedric Lee, and several others for serious illegal detention, serious physical injuries, grave threats, grave coercion, illegal arrest, and blackmail.
The transfer and consolidation was brought about by the nature of the two complaints: the complaints "arose from one and the same incident, founded on the same factual and legal issues and involving the same parties."

"The City Prosecutor of Taguig is hereby directed to transmit the entire case records of the complaint of Deniece Millinette Cornejo to the DOJ panel of prosecutors immediately," Arellano's order read.

The panel of prosecutors tasked to handle the consolidated cases will be the same panel tasked to handle Navarro's complaint which was filed with the DOJ main office: Asst. State Prosecutors Olivia Torrevillas, Hazel Decena-Valdez, and Marie Elvira Herrera.

Navarro was severely beaten up by Lee's group inside Cornejo's condominium unit in Taguig last Jan. 22; Cornejo has cried attempted rape, while Navarro claims he was set up and his assailants tried to extort P1 million from him.